Thanks so much.. AMERICAN DOLL is pinkest in the morning for me -- but fades to a charming whitishpink in the late afternoon - no loss of form those--she is a lady until the end. Shelly

msjee- your "art" reminds me of something similar from my teen years. I had not planned on remarking on it, but I read a post just above and it made me think I should say something. I was angry with my parents and they took a picture of me as I glared at the camera. They put it in the family album and were/are (?) quite amused by it. I always thought it was cruel and mean spirited that they took that picture and it was always a reminder of how upset I was with them. Your son may find it funny, but he also may not and you may not realize that. The reason I put the "?" next to the word "are" is I have not spoken to them for over 5 years. The picture was obviously not the slightest the cause of the rift, but even thinking about it annoys me, 30 years later. They often found humor at my expense and if I expressed that it hurt my feelings, then I was being too sensitive. To this day, I have anxiety about singing publicly because they and my older brother would razz me about it. I remember being quite proud that I was a runner up for the lead in a school production in 6th grade, but when I said I did not get the part, they all said it was because it sounded like someone was getting hurt when I practiced in the bsmt. Very funny. I used to love to sing and wanted to become a singer, but after the 3 of them used it as a punchline, it was hard for me to ever sing in front of anyone again. What may seem funny to the adults may cut deep to a kid, even one who is older. Your son may act like it is funny but it could also get under his skin. Is it really something you want as a family story to pass down? Is that how you want to remember your son? If something were to happen to him, I think you may look at the wall differently and wonder if you should have continued the gag quite so long. Hopefully, your family is nothing like mine was and this is something humorous to all, but if there is a chance it bothers him, even a little, do you really want to do that?

Sherry - Yes, the colors on Thi. s Longing are delicate, dreamy and ethereal. Mantis - I agree about Ethel Buccola. More people should grow it. The bloom form is exquisite! I think the color is too orangey for a lot of daylily fans. But it looks so fantastic planted next to purples. I guess a lot of these tener plants that have done well for me in the past didn't cope well with temps of zero and below this past winter. The temperatures were the coldest I can remember since moving to Nashville 28 years ago. And we had what for this area was a long winter. Mantis add-on: Subhana Ansari is in Northern California. She is the owner of Flourishing Daylilies and has several intros now. The other intro I got from her this spring is a bicolor with a blue eye called Soul Sister. It had already scaped when she sent my package, so I don't know if I will see it bloom this year. I also bought some replacements of plants I lost over the past couple of winters. She is a very generous seller. Debra

Suebelle, did you decide to pick up any of these Kordes' roses? Summer Romance & Savannah arrived from Chamblee's a year ago. Potted on several times & pinched for shaping, they've bloomed once this season & are budding up again. (Unusually cool, cloudy & wet weather delayed the Spring flush in general.) With great fragrance, charming blooms & spotless foliage in this hot & humid no spray garden, both are throwing new basals & giving a good showing for such young roses here in the Upper South. Savannah is one of the Sunbelt Collection. http://newflora.com/kordes-roses/sunbelt-rose-collection/ Another of that group here a year from Chamblee's is Polar Express. Treated like the other two, it managed to slip several flushes by me last year in its eagerness to bloom. Haven't nipped any buds this year & it's swelling new buds as others are opening without pause. Good solid fragrance. Another I can highly recommend. Parfumas Summer Romance & First Crush in bud & bloom arrived at the local Lowe's in 2-gallon pots the 1st of April. Jam packed onto a long table, could only inspect some along the edges to find them grafted. After own roots, admired the enticing perfume of their generous bloom, but left them be, hoping own root examples would follow. Flowers of First Crush were not as pale as I'd thought from photos, a very appealing clear blush pink. A week later during a heat spike sans rain, visited again to find the half remaining in depressingly pitiful condition - dry & wilting from lack of watering, canes snapped & dying, likely from attempts to separate each from its neighbors for purchase in that overcrowded display. Found an own root First Crush in salvageable condition & put it in my cart, remarking to my husband I needed to speak to the manager. To hurry me along (lol), he took the rose, found & spoke to the manager & came back followed by an employee armed with a watering wand. Showing me the manager discounted the rose by half & he'd already paid for it, we left. First Crush cleaned up nicely. Watered well & left to soak overnight in a filled plant saucer, it drank every bit & looked gratefully relieved by morning. Parked in high shade & given simple care, managed to replace lost leaves & began to bud again. Nipped the first set of buds, but allowed it to bloom a few weeks later as it appeared fully recovered. In the meantime, I'd "rescued" another First Crush & a pair of Summer Romances, all own root 2-gallons, from a sale table at Lowe's that at least was exposed to plentiful rain. All rebounded with the same treatment. More Kordes own roots arrived at Lowe's a month ago, this time as 1-gallons in Forever & Ever branded pots. Very well grown, in bud & bloom priced @ $13, picked up trios of Eleganza hybrid teas Sunny Sky & Heart Song. Not actively searching for these two (unlike some others), found them very appealing in person & their fragrance nose-to-rose sealed the deal. Both repeat bloom rapidly so far even as youngsters. Sunny Sky shows apricot buds that open to a pastel yellow heart backed in apricot with buttercream edges. Heart Song is a lovely clear red without orange or blue tints. Both hold their color without fading till petal drop in temps of low 90's. (Kolorscape Lemon Fizz as the same brand & price merritted another trio, thanks to you, Patty, for your reports & photos! Lemon Fizz closes its petals in the evening, like some of the early singles & semidoubles, another charming aspect of its personality.) Greatly enjoying each of these unique personalities & finding them all "happy" roses - eager to grow & flower, humming right along. Very easy to grow, healthy, reliable roses.